


A Pleasant Surprise

by Inkwell1013



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Fluff, John Watson is a Good Boyfriend, Long-Term Relationship(s), M/M, One Shot, Puppies, Redbeard is really a dog in this one, Relationship Goals, Sherlock likes Pirates, Slice of Life, cuteness, like really fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 09:02:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24967159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inkwell1013/pseuds/Inkwell1013
Summary: John has had a long day at work. When he gets home, he finds that Sherlock has a little surprise for him. And it's something he's wanted for a very long time.
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Comments: 4
Kudos: 51





	A Pleasant Surprise

John sighed as he hung up his coat. It had been a long day at the clinic after all. “Sherlock, are you home?” he called. He got no response at first. Then he heard the skittering of a small animal as a sopping wet puppy ran up to him, jumping at his legs.

His brain skipped a beat, malfunctioning for a second. Sherlock wandered out of the bedroom, with a cocky smirk on his face and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. “I see that you two have become acquainted. Be careful, she’s still a bit damp from her bath,” he said.

“Sherlock, why is there a puppy in the flat?” asked John, practically speechless.

“One of my homeless network found her in a dumpster,” explained Sherlock. “I want to keep her. Can I?”

“What? Sherlock, you can barely look after yourself half the time,” retorts John, picking up the squirming puppy in his arms and holding her at an arm’s length to keep his shirt from getting damp. She was a pretty cute cocker spaniel, with large doe eyes and brown fur that would probably be soft if she were not dripping wet. “Anyway, we both work. It wouldn’t be fair to leave her home all day.”

“I’ve already thought about that. Mrs Hudson said that she’ll look after her while I’m out on cases. Apparently, she really likes dogs,” said Sherlock. He had clearly thought about this a lot and seemed pretty dedicated to the idea.

John didn’t know why at first. Then something occurred to him. He had seen a picture in Sherlock’s wallet once. It was of him as a child sitting next a Irish Setter with kind eyes. Now he was looking at her again, the puppy did look a bit like the dog in the photograph.

“Is it just me or does this puppy look like your old dog?” asked John casually.

“She kinda does look like Redbeard, doesn’t she?” remarked Sherlock, giving the puppy a little scratch between the ears. “So, can I keep her?”

John looked down at the puppy one last time. She was very cute and he had always wanted a dog as a kid. He could never have one because his sister was allergic. “You know what… sure. As long as you look after her properly, you can keep her. And I mean looking after her properly – walking her, feeding her, grooming her - all that stuff,”

Sherlock beamed at the news and went to fetch an old towel from the cupboard. Coming back, he took the puppy from John and started toweling off the puppy as carefully as he could. John crouched down and did his best to help.

“So… any thoughts for a name?” John asked, trying to stop the puppy from squirming out of Sherlock’s grasp.

“A name?”

“I mean if we’ll be keeping her, she’ll need a name, right?” he explained, looking at Sherlock’s response to the question. He squinted his eyes in the way he always did when he was deep in thought and frowned slightly.

“I’d like it if it was something to do with pirates…” Sherlock admitted sheepishly. His lifelong obsession with pirates was something that he was often embarrassed by, only admitting it to John about three months ago. John had known that he was obsessed by pirates as a kid but hadn’t thought it had lasted into adulthood. In a way, it was sort of endearing.

“That’s not a bad idea. Maybe like a famous pirate or something. I don’t know about any female pirates though,” said John, trying to pat the puppy on the head before she grabbed ahold of his sleeve with her teeth. Sherlock thought about it for a second before he had an idea.

“What about Grace, after Grace O’Malley? She was an Irish pirate in the 16th century. I think she was called the pirate queen,” said Sherlock. “I read about her in a book when I was a child,”

John looked to the puppy, who was now tugging on his sleeve as if she was trying to rip in half, and smiled. “Grace. It’s very fitting actually,” he said. “She’s pretty spunky and mischievous after all,”

“Yeah, she is,” said Sherlock, going to pick her up. “Why don’t we take her to the pet store to get some supplies?”

“You didn’t pick anything upon your way back?” asked John, standing up.

“To be honest, I never thought you’d say that we could keep her,” said Sherlock, throwing on his coat, which was quite a feat with a Grace in his arms. She snuggled into the soft wool fabric of his coat and dozed off.

“So what do puppies need again?” Sherlock asked, as they left the house.

“Well, she’ll need a collar and leash, some dishes for food and water, puppy food of course, a bed and some toys,” listed John as he locked the door behind them. “I think that’s about it. Oh and we’ll have to take her to the vets for some shots before she can be around other dogs,”

“You’re pretty knowledgeable about this,” remarked Sherlock as they made their way down the steps of the apartment.

“I always wanted a dog as a kid, so I did a lot of research into them. Couldn’t have one though because Harry’s allergic. Guess the information stuck with me,” he said. He had his very first dog and it was with the man he loved. He couldn’t stop beaming from ear to ear.

Sherlock noticed his grin. “What are you smiling about?” he demanded.

“It’s nothing. Just happy,” replied John as Grace twisted over in her sleep, burying her face in Sherlock’s chest. “Shall we go?”

“Yes. Let’s.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on tumblr.  
> [my account](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/inkwell1013)


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